Combination watch and alarm-clock



S. A. A. STENBERG.

COMBINATION WATGH AND ALARM CLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED,JUNE 7., 1920.

1,361, 11 3, Patented Dec. 7, 1920.

A 26 v I l Z3 1. llllfllg r 21 SVEN A. ALLAN STENBERG, 0 LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

COMBINATION WATCH AND ALARM-CLOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 7, 1920.

Application filed June '7, 1920. Serial'No. 387,021.

To all whom it may OOMCG/ITL.

Be it known thatl, SvEN AXEL ALLAN Srmvnnnc, a citizen of Sweden, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Combination \Vatch and Alarm-Clock, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to an improvement in watches and alarm-clocks, and the ob jects of the improvement are, first, to provide a watch or pocket-timepiece that can be conveniently worn in the usual manner and which can besides, when so desired, be connected and coupled to a stand containing an alarm mechanism, the watch and the alarm mechanism of the stand when thus coupled together performing all the functions of a regular alarm-clock, and the device thereby serving the twofold purpose of a pocket watch and alarm clock with the aid of but a single time mechanism for both; second, to afford facilities for coupling accurately the mechanism or watchmovement of the watch with the alarm mechanism of the'stand; and third, to provide facilities for the reliable retention of the watch to the stand.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter more fully described and claimed,and while the invention is not restricted or limited to the exact details of construction disclosed or suggested herein, still for the purpose of illustrating a practical embodiment thereof reference is had to the accompanying drawing in Which igure 1 is a vertical front view of a watch or pocket time-piece adjusted and held in position on a stand hereinafter more fully described; Fig. 2, a vertical side View of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a top plan view of Figs. 1 and 2, but with the watch removed from the stand to show more clearly the different parts; Fig. 4, a vertical front view of the stand with the watch removed; Fig. 5 a vertical section of the stand on the line 27, 27, Fig. 3; and with the alarm-mechanism of the stand removed to show more clearly the more important parts of the invention; and showing also, a-vertical section of a watch adjusted to the stand with most of the time-mechanism or movement removed from the watch; Fig. 6, a vertical rear view of a watch provided with a small central aperture, a hinged lid, and a cou pling, for a purpose hereinafter described; Fig. 7 an enlarged side view of two parts of a coupling mechanism; the coupling shown to the right in the figure being a sectional view of this part of the coupling; and Fig. 8, a side view of the two parts of the coupling mechanism, shown in Fig. 7 coupled together.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The cylindrical stand 1, which may be of any other desired design or configuration than that shown in the drawing, is provided with a partition 2, placed within the aforesaid stand at a desired distance from the outer extreme and frontal edge or rim of the stand. The rim curves inward around its entire circumference toward the partition 2, thus forming a flange 3, and the flange and partition together forming a recessed open compartment within the stand, (see Figs. 4 and 5). A cylindrical knuckle 4 is affixed securely on the end of a shaft 5, projecting through an aperture 19, bored in the partition 2, the other end of said shaft resting in a bearing. 17, situated on a rear partition 20, as shown in Fig. 5. The knuckle 4 has a grooved central cup-like aperture 6, and the projecting ridges formed between each pair of grooves are ground and sharpened so as to form a projecting ridge which is larger at the outer surface of the aperture and which gradually diminishes toward the center of the cup-like aperture shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 7. A protective guide 7 having a central aperture slightly larger than the diameter of the knuckle 4, is mounted securely on the partition 2, and within this guide the knuckle can freely rotate. with its shaft, in the direction of thehands of a watch.

The shaft 5 may be connected in any desirable manner to any of the many alarm mechanisms now manufactured and used in alarm-clocks,or those that may be used in the future,the particular alarm mechanism employed forming no part of my present invention, it being desirable however that the alarm mechanism selected and placed within the space formed by the partitions 2 and 20 and the cylindrical stand 1, be of a kind most adapted to the device in regards to strength, utility and other mechanically desirable qualities. All alarm clocks, as hereunto manufactured, are in addition to the alarm mechanism provided with a time mechanism, both being directly connected and assembled within the clock stand of such alarm clocks, but in my device the time mechanism is eliminated and left out from the stand 1, inasmuch as this mechanism is furnished by a separate time mechanism or time movement contained within a pocket watch, which is coupled to the shaft 5 in a manner presently to be described.

The bell portion 21 which in the drawing is shown to be mounted on top of the stand 1, may also, if so desired, be placed within the cylindrical stand, or affixed to the rear of the stand, in a manner now sometimes preferred by certain manufacturers of alarm clocks.

The rear outer case or cover 28, of a pocket watch 16, is provided with an aperture 8, of slightly larger diameter than the protecting guide 7; and hinged to the edge of this aperture is a lid 9, provided with a nailor thumb-catch 18. (See Figs. 5 and 6.) I In Fig. 6, the lid 9 is shown open and swung back on its hinges, but when closed the lid covers the aperture 8 snugly thereby protecting the interior of the watch, and a mecha nism hereinafter described from dust and injury, whenever the watch is carried by its owner in a pocket. The rear end of the hour-hand shaft or spindle 10 is elongated and projects outwardly in the direction of the central aperture 8, the length of the projecting end being limited so as to permit of the lid 9 being closed without touching or interfering with a conical and grooved coupling 11, which is firmly mounted and secured to the projecting end of the hourhand shaft shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7. The conical portion of the coupling 11 is of slightly smaller dimensions than the central conical aperture 6, of the coupling a, and the grooves cut on the former, and the thereby resulting projecting ridges, are of the same number and general construction as those of the knuckle or coupling at, so that the ridges of the former will fit snugly within the grooves of the latter,(and vice versa),- when the two different parts of the coupling are joined together as shown in Figs. 5 and 8.

When it is desired to .connect the watch 16 to the alarm mechanism of the stand 1, the lid 9 on the back of the watch is opened and swung back, whereafter the lower end of the watch is inserted in a curved pocket 15, soldered or otherwise affixed to the lower part of the stand 1. The watch is then pushed into the recessed compartment formed by the circular curved flange 3 and the partition 2, the lower portion of the stem 24 of the watch during the operation encountering and spreading apart the two opposite branches of a forked spring-catch 12 aflixed to a standard 13. Eventually the stem of the watch will enter a semi-circular notch 25 cut to a suitable depth through the curved flange 3 and the upper forward edge of the stand 1, and in this position the stem will be embraced and held by the spring catch 12, and the watch will consequently be held securely and firmly in place. See Figs. 1, 2 and 5. Coincidently with and during the above operation the couplings 1 and 11 are caused to approach and engage each other, the pointed coupling 11 being automatically guided under applied pressure, and by the several parts of the device, into the central aperture 6 of the knuckle a into which it fits snugly, and an accurate coupling or union of the two shafts 5 and 10 are thereby effected, the watch and alarm mechanism of the stand under these conditions being new capable of performing together,-and to all purposes and intent,the functions of a regular alarm-clock.

The particular watch-movement or n1cchanism of the watch employed forms no part of my present invention, and any of the many watchmovements now manufactured and in use may be employed. It is however deemed advisable that the watch movement selected be of a comparatively inexpensive make.

Usually the outer case of the watch is made circular in shape and with rounded rims, but sometimes the watch case is manufactured in other design and configuration. In all cases the flange 3, and the several parts of the stand 1, are fashioned to conform to the particular design or configuration of the watch or watch-case employed.

The rim may also if so desired be lined with cork, felt, velvet or other suitable soft and shock-absorbing material, and the spring-catch 12 may be mounted securely in the facing of the semi-circular notch 25 instead of to the standard, where the watch used is provided with a short stem instead of the long stem 24; shown in the drawing.

Besides serving as a standard to which the spring-catch 12 may be conveniently attached, the standard 13, which is riveted or otherwise securely afiixed to the stand 1, also prevents the chain-ring 26, of the watch, or any thereunto attached watch-chain from accidentally coming in contact with the alarm bell 21 and thereby lessening the volume of its sound when the alarm mechanism contained within the stand is released. A curved hook la is mounted at a convenient point on the stand, as shown in the drawing, and on this hook the watch-chain,-(not shown), of the watch, may be suspended when the watch is connected to the stand.

Any other of the many coupling devices in existence may be substituted for the one shown in the drawing.

I claim:

1. In a device of the character set forth, the combination of an alarm clock stand provided with a suitable alarm mechanism, an open frontal recessed compartment, a detachable pocket watch containing a time mechanism placed therein, an inwardly extending flange fashioned to and conforming with the design and configuration of the aforesaid pocket watch forming part of the recessed compartment, a frontal partition placed at a suitable distance from the frontal edge or rim of the stand and forming part of the recessed compartment of the stand, a shaft communicating with the alarm mechanism of the stand and projecting through an aperture in the frontal partition, a coupling afiixed to the projecting end of the aforesaid shaft, a protecting guide surrounding the coupling, a notch cut to a suitable depth throu h the flan e and the upper forward edge 0 the stand or the reception of the stem of a watch, a standard securely affixed to the upper portion of the stand, a spring-catch provided with uides or prongs adapted to engage and retain the watch reliably on the stand, attached thereto, a curved pocket or receptacle mounted on the base of the stand, a hook mounted on the stand for the reception of a watch chain.

2. In a device of the character set forth, the combination of a pocket watch provided with an aperture mounted in the rear cover or case of the watch, a protective lid or cover attached thereunto, an elongated and out wardly projecting hour-hand shaft adapted to communicate with the movement of the watch, a coupling attached to the hour-hand shaft and engaging a coupling on a shaft adapted to communicate with an alarm mechanism contained within an alarm-clock stand.

3. In a device of the character set forth a coupling provided with a central cuplike and grooved aperture, the aforesaid coupling affixed to a shaft communicatin with an alarm-mechanism contained wit in a clock-stand, a pointed conical and grooved coupling attached to a shaft communicating with a Watch movement contained within a watch case, the aforesaid couplings both provided with alternate grooves and ridges adapted to engage each other as shown and described.

S. A. ALLAN STENBERG. 

